Monday, September 16, 2013

Interview reprinted with permission from ePublished magazine, a Thomson Reuters publication for West Key Authors.

Author Profile- Ray Dowd

Thomson Reuters Westlaw author Ray Dowd is an avid social media
user and uses his blog Copyright Litigation Blog to promote his
publication Copyright
Litigation Handbook. In a recent interview with
attorney editor they discussed how he uses social media to both increase his
legal knowledge and raise his own professional profile.

Copyright
Litigation Handbook came about because “the
treatises out there really were more interested in the ‘why’ of copyright law,
and not really the ‘how,’” Dowd said. He recalledstanding in court
during a trial before Judge Denny Chin, S.D.N.Y., and staring down at a stack
of books on the table. “I needed a reference book. Copyright
Litigation Handbook is part of a desire to have a quick, easily accessible
cheat sheet.”

The book is designed to help practitioners manage client
interviews, deal with the copyright office pre-litigation, file a complaint,
and navigate court proceedings. It received praise in the New York Law
Journal, and Dowd is proud of his colleagues’ positive feedback as well.

The blog promotes the book, and it has topped the Google search
rankings for months because Dowd identified a niche and carefully selected a
name for it. “I went out there and identified a specific need, and I
simply called it something different…. Folks out there are writing about
‘copyright law’—very few are writing about ‘copyright litigation,’” he noted.

His blogging advice for authors: Use targeted, logical keywords.

Dowd also recommends Twitter for legal authors. Don’t
underestimate “the intellectual firepower of the members of the legal
profession who are tweeting,” said Dowd, who belongs to a list of IP
lawyers who tweet on legal issues. “You can process a massive amount of
information in a matter of seconds. It’s focused on exactly what you’re looking
for.” Dowd uses Twitter streams to follow certain search terms, link to
documents, and receive updates that supplement his Westclips service.

“I’m very excited about this new collaboration and the real
hands-on approach I’ve gotten from my attorney editor and Thomson Reuters
Westlaw’s in-house social media coordinator,” said Dowd. “We’ve entered
this world that’s a lot like the film The Matrix, where we are connected
whether we like it or not.”

Partner in Manhattan law firm Dunnington Bartholow & Miller LLP in New York City litigating in federal and state courts and arbitrations. Experienced trial and appellate practitioner. Author: Copyright Litigation Handbook (Thomson Reuters 2015-2016). The New York Law Journal called it "an indispensable guide". Serve on the Board of Directors of the Federal Bar Association, served as Chair of the Circuit Vice Presidents, Vice President for the Second Circuit and General Counsel. Member Board of Governors, National Arts Club. President, Network of Bar Leaders (2013-2014).
Attorney advertising disclaimer - prior results do not guarantee success. The statements and opinions voiced here are my own and not of my law firm.

About Me

Partner in Manhattan law firm Dunnington Bartholow & Miller LLP in New York City litigating in federal and state courts and arbitrations. Experienced trial and appellate practitioner. Author: Copyright Litigation Handbook (Thomson Reuters 2015-2016). The New York Law Journal called it "an indispensable guide". Serve on the Board of Directors of the Federal Bar Association, served as Chair of the Circuit Vice Presidents, Vice President for the Second Circuit and General Counsel. Member Board of Governors, National Arts Club. President, Network of Bar Leaders (2013-2014).
Attorney advertising disclaimer - prior results do not guarantee success. The statements and opinions voiced here are my own and not of my law firm.